


Lifelong Love Letter

by eternaleponine



Series: Where There Is A Flame [26]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, But mostly fluff, F/F, Fluff, Weddings, With tiny hints of angst, new home
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-05-14 10:45:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14768114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eternaleponine/pseuds/eternaleponine
Summary: At long last, Echo and Luna are finally getting married, with the love and support of all of their friends.  After, they move into their new home.





	Lifelong Love Letter

**Echo**

"Hey, beautiful."

Echo looked up from where she'd been fiddling with the clasp of the necklace that she hadn't decided yet if she was going to wear. She let it drop into her lap and wrapped her fingers around Emori's forearm, which circled her from behind, putting them cheek to cheek in the mirror. "Hey, Mama," she replied. 

"You ready for this?"

Echo arched an eyebrow. "Are you?"

Emori feigned confusion. "Why wouldn't I be? It's not like my job is important or anything. 'Do you? Do you? Awesome, you're married. Now kiss.' Right?" Her attempt at wide-eyed innocence crumbled into a grin, and under other circumstances, Echo probably would have dug her elbow into Emori's midsection to push her away, but not when there was someone in there who might take offense and try to elbow her back (although so far no one but Emori had felt the Razzbaby move, that was likely to change sometime soon). 

"Ha ha," Echo said. She retrieved the necklace from the folds of her skirt and offered it to Emori. "Can you give me a hand?" she asked.

"Ha ha," Emori replied in exactly the same tone. "I can give you one. Trouble is, you need two." An old joke between them – one of the oldest – but usually it was Echo asking Emori if she needed a hand, and Emori saying that she had one, trouble was she needed two. 

"I've got it," Ontari said, reaching out and taking the necklace from Echo. She worked open the clasp and draped it around Echo's neck, fastening it and letting it fall to hang just below the hollow of her throat. Her eyes narrowed. "I haven't seen that..."

"... since you first met me," Echo finished for her. "I was wearing it when I first came to live with... with you, and then it disappeared. I thought it must have fallen off somewhere, that I'd lost it." She reached up to touch the little silver charm, which was shaped like a hand with a snowflake in the palm. Her parents had given it to her when she was just a little girl, a symbol of the commune where they lived, the community that they belonged to, and it had been the only thing that she'd taken with her to remember the place she'd called home when she left. 

"You found it after all these years?" Emori asked. 

Echo swallowed hard and shook her head. "Not exactly. It was... returned to me."

"No," Ontari said, shaking her head. 

"I didn't see her," Echo told her. "It just showed up in the mailbox at the farm." She looked at Ontari, her expression grim. "There was no address on it. No stamp." 

"Fuck," Ontari hissed, stalking away. "That fucking bitch, I'll—" She turned around and looked at her again. "When?"

"Yesterday," Echo said. "It was there when I went out to make sure everything was done on the house. Along with this." She pulled out another box, flat and rectangular, and lifted the lid to reveal a photo album, which she handed to Ontari. She pretended she didn't see that Ontari's hands were shaking as she took it and flipped to the first page: a picture of herself as a little girl, and more of her through the years, until Echo appeared alongside her. There were pictures that Echo wasn't even sure how Nia would have gotten hold of them, except by going into their personal files, but Nia had controlled every aspect of their lives, so why would she think that _anything_ was private? 

There was nothing from after Echo had left her employ and Nia kicked Ontari out, and that was something, at least. Cold comfort, maybe, but better than the thought that she still had literal eyes on them, still had them under her thumb.

"What is it?" Emori asked. 

"A power trip disguised as a gift," Echo said. "She's giving us back parts of our past, parts of ourselves, that we thought we'd lost. This necklace, those pictures... but also letting us know that she knows where to find us if she ever decides she wants us back." 

"That _bitch_ ," Emori growled. "If she even thinks about—"

"Hey," Echo said, standing and holding out her arms, pulling them both into her and drawing comfort from behind surrounded by people she loved, and who loved her. "It sucks, and I hate her for it, and maybe I should have waited to tell you, but..." she shook her head. "We're not going to let her ruin this. _I'm_ not going to let her ruin this. This is my wedding day. Even if I can't lock away that part of my past because she's still got the key... I'm not letting her through to door into my future."

The door burst open. "Hey! Why did no one tell me it was hug time?" Echo looked down as Veelu wormed her way into the hug, wrapping her arms around Echo's hips and holding tight. She was tempted to crouch down and pick her up, but she didn't want to risk messing up her dress, or Veelu's. 

"You look beautiful," Echo told her, tipping up her chin. "Where are you wings?"

"Mommy has them," Veelu said. "She didn't want me to accidentally smush them."

"Smart lady," Emori said. "A flower girl fairy – flower fairy girl? – with smushed wings would be sad." 

"That's true," Veelu agreed. She let go of Echo and looked up at Emori hopefully. "Can I?" she asked.

Emori rolled her eyes and smiled. "Go ahead," she said. 

"Hi Razzbaby!" Veelu said, patting Emori's belly gently. Emori was far enough along now that it wasn't possible to hide it anymore, although if you only saw her from behind you wouldn't know anything had changed. 

"Razzbaby says hi back," Emori said, and Echo saw Veelu press her hands a little harder, trying to feel whatever Emori was feeling. After a few seconds she seemed to give up, though, and just pressed a kiss to Emori's stomach before letting go. 

"Is it almost time?" Veelu asked. 

"Almost," Echo said. "The car will be here any minute."

"Not a car," Veelu said. "A limou _sine_." She enunciated the word carefully, drawing out the last syllable for emphasis. "Can I sit next to you? I will hold your hand so you don't get nervous."

"Of course," Echo said. "And thank you." 

"Oh!" Veelu darted away and came back a second later with a little satin bag clenched in her hand. "I have something that you need!"

Echo frowned. Had she forgotten something? She took the bag and loosened the drawstring, upending it into her palm. She looked down and saw a charm in the shape of a certain little blue alien experiment gone wrong. 

"Mommy said that you needed someone old and something new and something borrowed and something blue, and I don't know if you have the other three, but Stitch is blue so you need him!" Veelu explained. 

"You're right," she said. "I do." She closed her fingers around the charm as she reached back and unfastened her necklace, slipping the new charm onto it to rest beside the hand, then handed it to Ontari to put back on her, so her past family and her present one rested side-by-side over her heart.

She leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of the little girl's head, right in the center of her flower crown. "What would I do without you?"

"I have _no_ idea," Veelu said.

* * *

**Luna**

Luna climbed into the limousine that would take her and her half of the wedding party, along with her mom and Madi, who had opted to come with Lexa to help Luna and Adria get ready rather than go with Clarke to make sure that everything was set up correctly, to the farm. She watched the two little girls settle next to each other, their hands and arms tangling as they took turns playing some game on a tablet.

"Nervous?" Lexa asked, taking her hand and squeezing. 

"No," Luna said, and meant it. "Why would I be nervous? I know I'm doing the right thing." 

"I knew I was doing the right thing marrying Clarke," Lexa said, "but it didn't keep me from being nervous. I was terrified that I would forget the words to the poem or something, or that I would see her and just start crying and not be able to say anything at all." 

"But neither of those things happened," Luna said. "I am more worried about her." Because she knew Echo had been ambivalent about the wedding for quite a while leading up to it. She'd tried to keep it from Luna, not wanting to upset her or stress her out, and Luna had given her space to work through things on her own. It didn't help either of them to force Echo to talk when she wasn't ready. In the end, she'd seemed to be at peace with things, but Luna worried that that might not last. 

It was part of the reason that she'd suggested that instead of a bachelorette party, or two bachelorette parties (and how would that have worked, when they shared the majority of their friend group?) she would resurrect a German wedding tradition that had fallen somewhat to the wayside over the years, the _Polterabend_ , where friends and family gathered together to cast out evil spirits, negative energy, whatever you wanted to call it, by smashing old dishes and other ceramics, setting them free to start fresh in their new life together. 

It had been a hit. With so many of their friends who were still in school coming out of finals (or in Tris' case, going into them soon), so there was plenty of negative energy to be banished. They'd stayed up laughing and talking probably later than they should have, revisiting old memories and sketching dreams of the future in the air around them. By the time the party had broken up, Luna was exhausted, and she'd hoped to drop off to sleep right away. As it turned out, suddenly having a bed to yourself after over a year of sleeping beside the person you loved wasn't a great feeling. Things hadn't improved when Adria joined her, because when given space to sprawl, the little girl slept like a starfish, limbs extended in all directions and taking up more of the bed than Luna would have imagined possible. She hadn't seen or talked to Echo to know if she'd fared any better, but she hoped that maybe she had. 

"She loves you," Lexa said, slipping into German in case the girls were listening, but they seemed to be too absorbed in their game to pay much attention. 

"I know," Luna said. "She's just been doing a lot – too much, maybe – and going through a lot. I think getting everything going for the farm has made her think of home, and those memories, even the good ones, are bittersweet." 

Lexa nodded. "I know how that is," she said. 

"I know you do." She'd seen Lexa give Echo something the night before, and although she wasn't sure what it was (it hadn't felt right to ask; if Lexa wanted her to know she would have given it to Echo in front of her) they'd hugged each other for a long time after, and Echo had come back to the party looking like she was in a better place, mentally and emotionally, than she had been. 

They pulled up in front of the farm, followed only seconds later by a second limo that contained Echo and her crew, and some of their other friends negotiated who would get out first so that they wouldn't actually see each other before the ceremony. Neither of them was particularly superstitious; they weren't worried that it would be bad luck. It was just a tradition that they'd decided to uphold. So it took a few minutes before Luna was able to get out of the car, where she was escorted to a little tent for any last-minute touch-ups to hair and makeup before the big moment.

"Go find Mom," Lexa told Madi. "And leave the tablet with me." 

Madi stuck out her tongue, but she handed over the device to Lexa, who tucked it into a bag and then hugged her daughter. "I'll see you soon," she said. 

"Not if I see you first!" Madi said. She gave Adria a quick hug, and then darted out to go find Clarke, and presumably her seat. 

Without her more outgoing friend at her side, Adria seemed to shrink into herself a little. She looked at Luna with wide eyes. "I'm not sure this is a good idea," she said softly. "What if I drop the ring or something?"

"Then you pick it up," Luna said easily. "You will be fine. I promise." She reached into the little bag she'd brought. "Come here. I have something for you." She pulled out a little jewelry box and handed it to Adria. "Go ahead," she prompted. "Open it."

Adria untied the ribbon and lifted the lid. Inside was a silver necklace with a small starfish-shaped pendant. "Do you want to wear it now?" Luna asked, when Adria just stared at it like she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do or say.

"Yes please," Adria whispered, and Luna took the box and removed the necklace, draping it around Adria's neck and making sure the clasp was secure before letting it go. She might have teased the girl her resemblance to the creature when she slept, but she knew that it would upset her, leading to fretting and apologies as she beat herself up for doing something wrong. 

Adria touched the little charm with a gentle fingertip, and her eyes were bright when she looked at Luna, finally smiling. "Thank you," she said. "I love it."

"I thought you might." Luna held out her arms and squeezed Adria tight when she tucked herself into them. "I'm so happy you're here," she whispered. 

"Me too," Adria whispered back, and then, even softer, "I love you."

Luna squeezed her eyes shut, glad that the person who'd done her makeup had assured her that her mascara was as waterproof as it came, and held Adria a little tighter. "I love you too," she told her. She might not have let her go, but someone came and touched her on the shoulder, forcing her to look up. 

"I'm going to go find your father," her mother said. "I think things are starting soon."

Luna stood up and hugged her mother. "Thank you for helping me get ready."

"You're my daughter," she said. "This is a day I've dreamed for a long time. Maybe not exactly how I dreamed it, but you are marrying someone who you love, and who loves you back just as much, and that is all a mother can really ask. I wouldn't be anywhere else." 

There was an edge to the words, and Luna knew she was thinking of Echo's parents, who were conspicuously absent. Luna had explained that it had been Echo's choice not to invite them, and asked them not to make a big fuss about it, and also not to make a fuss about their 'granddaughter' because it would overwhelm and most likely upset Adria, and they'd done that, but it didn't stop them from having feelings and opinions about the matter. 

They hugged again, and kissed each other's cheeks, and then Luna let her go. 

It was time.

* * *

**Emori**

Emori took her place at the front of the area they'd marked off as the wedding venue, under a sort of trellis that offered them a little bit of shade and looked out at the two sections of chairs. There was no bride's side and groom's side because there was no bride and groom, and most of the guests were here for both of them anyway. Music started to play, and butterflies rose in her stomach (real butterflies, not Razzbaby doing somersaults) and she resisted the urge to press a hand to her belly.

The first person down the aisle was Veelu, carrying a basket of flower petals and walking at a steady, measured pace as she carefully sprinkled them in front of her. On her back were her un-smushed fairy wings, which Tris had dyed ivory to match her dress and then painstakingly detailed along the edges with pale blue and green to match the others in the wedding party. When she reached the end, then took her place to one side of Emori, and stood very still as Ontari approached, followed by Echo.

Emori bit the inside of her lip. She'd sworn that she wouldn't get emotional, that she wouldn't let herself get overwhelmed seeing her best friend come down the aisle, and she could try to blame pregnancy hormones for the lump in her throat and the pricking in her eyes, but she wouldn't have been fooling anyone. She smiled as Echo approached and was glad when Echo smiled back, because her expression coming down the aisle had been borderline grim up to that point.

Next was Adria... or was supposed to be Adria, but when she got to the beginning of the aisle and saw everyone looking at her, she stopped dead. Emori saw Lexa come up next to her and crouch down, whispering something to her, and the little girl shook her head, looking ready to burst into tears. Lexa said something else to her, and then gently took her hand and walked down the aisle with her, smiling down at her the whole way. 

Last, and of course not least, was Luna, who of all of them was the only one who looked like she was actually enjoying this, completely at ease. Emori snuck at glance at Echo, whose mouth wasn't quite hanging open, but it was obvious that it was only because she was making a concerted effort not to gape. Luna looked beautiful – of course she did, when didn't she? – but so did Echo. But in that moment, Emori knew that Luna was all that Echo saw, her entire world narrowed to the person she loved most in the world, approaching her so that they could officially join their lives together. 

As long as Emori didn't mess it up.

"Everyone may be seated," Emori said when Luna took her place facing Echo, their hands linking together without prompting. Emori looked at them, and then out at all of their friends and family, and friends who were family. "Thank you all for joining us here today as we witness the marriage of Echo and Luna, two incredible women whose stories, individually and together, defy the odds, and teach us that love really _is_ patient, and love really _is_ kind."

She looked at them then. "To know where you came from, and to see where you are now, feels like... not quite a miracle, because when you finally arrive at the conclusion that was inevitable from the start, it's not a miracle, but a victory. A triumph over all the obstacles that you faced to get to this day, both inside and outside of yourselves. And a sigh of relief, as we all sit back, and smile, and say, 'Well, _finally_.'"

There was a soft laugh from those gathered and smiles from both Luna and Echo. 

"But you didn't come here to listen to me talk, and I think we've all – Luna and Echo especially – waited long enough for this moment. They've prepared their own vows, which they will now share. Luna?"

Luna gave her a slight nod, and then squeezed Echo's hands. "Echo," she said. "The first day that I met you - _really_ met you – was also almost the last. We had encountered each other a few times before, but I don't think we had ever exchanged more than a few words. I did not know you, and you did not know me. But in your darkest moment, I still saw the potential for light, and I resolved, then and there, that I would not let you, or anyone, snuff that out without a fight. I promised you, I made you promise yourself, that even when it felt like there was only darkness, and there would only ever be darkness, that there would be better moments." 

Something flickered in Echo's eyes, and her grip on Luna's hands tightened. "It wasn't easy to find the light again, and sometimes... sometimes it is still dark. But there is always light to be found. When you whispered a dream of the future you wanted to me one night, thinking that I would want no part of it, you set in motion something that is bigger than you and me, something that will bring light to more people than I think we can imagine. And that is what I see when I look at you – that light, that hope, that spark. I see all of the better moments that we will find together, that we will _create_ together. So my vow to you is that I will stand by you, today and all of our days, against the darkness, and that I will always help you find the light."

* * *

**Echo**

Echo opened her mouth, then closed it again, pulling her hands from Luna's and putting them on either side of her face, leaning their foreheads together, the tips of their noses brushing as they stood, eyes closed, and breathed through the rush of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. How could she follow that?

"Echo?" Emori finally prompted gently, and Echo pulled away, letting out a breath and letting go of the idea that she needed to somehow top what Luna had said. This wasn't a competition. They were in this together. They had been from the start, and the whole point was that they were promising they would be for the future. She looked at Emori and smiled at her crookedly. 

"Right," Echo said. She took Luna's hands again. "When I tried to write my vows, I found myself overwhelmed, because how could I put into words what you mean to me? How could I distill that down into a few sentences? I ended up needing to ask a friend for help." She glanced back at Veelu, who was beaming, before shifting her gaze back to Luna. "So these are the things that I solemn-knee promise to—"

"Echo!" It was meant to be a whisper, but it was loud enough that everyone heard. When Echo didn't immediately turn, Veelu tried again. "Echo!"

Luna tilted her head, eyebrows raised, because obviously something _very important_ required Echo's attention. Veelu took her duties very seriously, and she wouldn't interrupt the wedding for _no reason_. Echo turned to find out what was the matter, looking down at her flower girl to see her looking very concerned. "It's solemn _ly_ ," she hissed in a stage whisper.

Echo only barely managed to hold in a laugh. "Thank you," she whispered back.

"You're welcome."

Echo turned around again to face Luna, who was shaking with the effort not to burst out laughing. Echo tried to give her a stern look, but it only made matters worse, and it was several seconds before they had gotten their internalized giggles under control.

Echo took a breath. "These are the things that I solemn _ly_ promise:  
I promise to always love you. Even if I am exasperated with you.  
I promise that I will always clean up when I make messes, and I promise that I will always help you when you need help.  
I will always listen when you need to talk.  
I will always say that I'm sorry if I do something wrong, and I will always mean it." 

She paused, bit the inside of her lip, her smile faltering slightly as she sobered, but continued with the things she and Veelu had written, knowing that they might be harder promises to keep. "I promise I will be a good mom, and I help you to be a good mom. And I promise that whenever I can, in whatever way I can, I will protect you from things that might hurt you, and when I can't, I promise I will help you feel better when you're sad or sick." 

Luna nodded, and Echo knew that she knew exactly what Echo was saying in the silences between the words, and they held each other's hands tighter. 

"Last, I promise that your home will always be with me, and mine will always be with you." Echo drew Luna's hands to her and held them against her heart. " _Willst du die Frau dieser Bäuerin sein? _"__

" _Ja, natürlich!_ " Luna said, her hands sliding up to Echo's neck and pulling her in. 

"Whoa, hold on, we are _not_ there yet!" Emori interrupted, and everyone laughed... and laughed harder when Echo turned and stuck her tongue out at her best friend. 

"It's only another minute or two," Emori said. "Calm down." She paused and then said, "As a symbol of the promises that you've made to each other, you will now exchange rings." 

Echo pressed her lips together and held out her hand to Luna, who slowly drew the ring that she'd worn for years now on her middle finger off and slid it back onto Echo's ring finger – the _right_ finger, as Veelu had insisted, before they had even been engaged. "With this ring, I promise myself to you, for as long as we live in love together," Luna said. 

Echo smiled, closing her fingers into a loose fist, because the truth was that the ring was a little loose on her ring finger, but it was also adjustable, so they could fix it later. She looked past Luna to Adria, who Lexa gently nudged forward. 

Adria offered up the little pillow, where Luna's ring sat tied to a ribbon in the center. Echo knelt down to untie the ribbon, taking the ring. "Thank you," she whispered to Adria, catching her hand and squeezing it. Adria ducked her head and quickly moved back to her place. Echo thought she might even have been leaning against Lexa a little, like she could disappear into her. 

She took Luna's right hand and grinned when Luna blinked in surprise. "What?" Echo said softly. "I can Google." She slid the ring onto her finger. "With this ring, I promise myself to you, for as long as we live in love together." 

"By the powers vested in me by our Google overlords, I now pronounce you officially married," Emori declared. "You may _now_ kiss each other." 

Emori hadn't even finished the sentence before their lips met, and it wasn't a long or showy kiss, but Echo felt the gravity of it, felt as if they truly were sealing the promises they'd just made, and when she pulled away, she couldn't stop smiling. 

"'Love is patient,'" Emori said. "'Love is kind. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.' If that is the definition of love, then you, Echo and Luna, are love defined. Go now, and may this be the first of many, many better moments."

Music began playing again, and they took back their flowers from Ontari and Lexa, and walked back down the aisle together, hand in hand.

* * *

**Lexa**

Lexa leaned down and touched Adria's shoulder. "Do you want to walk with me, or will you be okay walking with Veelu?" she asked. "All you have to do is walk."

Adria swallowed. "I'm sorry I messed up," she said. "I'm sorry I—"

"No," Lexa said. "No, no, no. You didn't mess up. You just got a little nervous, and that's okay. Did you get the ring to Echo?" Adria nodded. "Then you did your job perfectly." She smiled. "Look, here's Veelu. You two go first, and Ontari and I will be right behind you."

Veelu held out her hand to Adria. "You did a very good job," she said. "And you look very, very beautiful in your dress." 

Adria smiled shyly. "So do you," she said. "I like your wings."

"Me too!" Veelu said. She tugged on Adria's hand, and they made their way down the aisle with a lot less formality than they'd come down, but that was all right. The serious part was over, and now the fun began. 

Lexa offered her arm to Ontari. "Shall we?" she asked. 

Ontari grinned. "That was..."

"That was them," Lexa said. "A little bit messy, a little irreverent, a lot of heart and a lot of fun." 

"Well when you put it that way, it was perfect." 

"Yes, it was." 

With the ceremony over, most of the guests headed over to one of the temporary pavilions that had been set up to nibble on appetizers. Lexa and Ontari went and joined the rest of the wedding party for photos... which then expanded to include the entire 'Ohana, plus family members, as Luna and Echo insisted that they get photos of everyone, and it wasn't as if you could argue with the brides. 

After that, the happy couple moved to where a log had been set up, taking either end of two-handed saw and working together to saw through it, a symbol of the partnership that they would need to exhibit as a married couple. 

Clarke nudged up against Lexa's side, and she wrapped her arm around her. "Germans are weird," she said.

Lexa laughed. "Maybe a little. But you were having just as much fun smashing old plates as anyone last night."

"And every single one of them had a name," Clarke said, grinning. "I love you."

"I love you too," Lexa said, leaning down to kiss her. "Where's Madi?"

Clarke nodded toward where she was talking animatedly to Adria and Veelu. "She said she wishes she could have been at our wedding," she said. "I think she was a little jealous that she didn't get to be in this one." 

"Well, we can't go back in time so she could be there," Lexa said, "but maybe we could at least take her to where it happened..." 

"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?" Clarke asked.

"Why not? You were convinced that I had lived a life of misery and deprivation when I told you that I'd never been." Which wasn't an entirely incorrect assessment, but not having been to Disney was only a small part of it. 

Clarke grinned. "That's true. After we move, we can at least look. No harm in looking, right?"

"Right." 

They finally announced that the food was ready, and everyone headed for the buffet to heap their plates with what Murphy had dubbed 'picnic chic'. Since the wedding was during Memorial Day weekend, when deciding the menu they'd ended up going with traditional picnic foods, which Murphy had then elevated to something that seemed more appropriate for the occasion, and also incredibly tasty. 

Once everyone had had the opportunity to make a first pass through the line, and any growling bellies had been satisfied, Lexa stood up, clinking her knife against her glass to get everyone's attention. "A toast to the brides," she called, and heard someone – probably Anya – echo, 'To the brides,' because if a Hamilton reference _could_ be made, it _would_ be made.

Everyone lifted their glasses. 

"Luna. _Meine Lieblingsfreundin._ " Lexa looked at Luna and smiled. " _Ja, ja, ich weiss das ist nicht das richtige Wort, aber es ist **mein** Wort,_ and I will never understand why, with the German love of compound words, you don't make it a thing." She was aware that it actually _was_ a thing, but when a German referred to someone as their 'favorite-friend' they often meant exactly the opposite, but she hadn't known that when she'd been nine years old and trying to tell Luna she was her best friend. It had made Luna laugh, so even after Luna had corrected her, she'd kept using it. "You can have _Handschuh_ but not _Lieblingsfreundin_? And don't even get me started on 'stuff'."

Luna laughed. "Really. Don't get her started." 

"Fly-stuff, Luna. Fly. Stuff. But I digress." Lexa looked back at her phone, where she'd made a few notes about what she wanted to say, because she wasn't sure she wouldn't get lost wandering down memory lane without them. Especially when distracted by fly-stuff.

"Luna. Schwester meines Herzens. If someone had told 9-year-old me that one day I would be the maid of honor at your wedding, giving a toast to you and your bride, I would have thought they were crazy. How could they be anything else, when I hated you?"

Luna laughed, and so did many of the others, who already knew the story of how they'd met. "I hated you so much I tried to punch you in the face. Lucky for you, you knew how to block, and lucky for me, you didn't take it personally. Instead, you were kind. Infuriatingly so, but there wasn't much that didn't infuriate me then. You were also determined – stubborn, even – and patient, and eventually you won me over. You taught me _eine andere Sprache_ , but more importantly, you taught me that life, and happiness, and _love_ didn't end when I lost my mother."

Lexa looked down, taking a moment to gather herself, because it was too early in the toast to lose her composure. She didn't want to lose it at all, but she suspected that it was going to happen before the end whether she liked it or not. This day meant too much, _Luna_ meant too much, for her to keep emotion entirely at bay. Maybe she should have kept things lighter – this was a joyful occasion, after all – but there was so much darkness that had come before the light, and when she'd sat down to decide what she was going to say, no matter how hard she tried she hadn't found a way to avoid it.

She took a breath and continued. "Then I lost you, and I thought that was the end. I would never find anyone like you again, and I would never love anyone like I loved you again. And I was right, and I was wrong. I was right that I would never find anyone like you again, because there _is_ no one else like you. I was wrong about love, though. You'd taught me that not only was it possible, but sometimes, no matter how hard you try to keep them out, some people will find a way into your heart whether you like it or not." She glanced at Clarke, who smiled softly back at her. 

"I won't lie and pretend that I didn't fight it every step of the way, because loving people, letting them in, just led to heartbreak when you inevitably – or at least it seemed that way to me – lost them. But then something else happened. Call it fate, or kismet, or whatever you want, but ten years after you disappeared from my life, or I guess more accurately I disappeared from yours, you reappeared, and we found a way to pick up the pieces of our shattered childhood hearts."

Luna picked up a napkin to dab at her eyes, her lips pressed together in a vain attempt to still the quivering of her chin. 

Lexa swallowed, fighting down the lump in her throat. "There will never be a day where I am not grateful for that. For that second chance, and for the fact that through everything, you remained you. That ten years and more later, you are just as kind, just as determined," she cleared her throat and muttered, "stubborn," and everyone chuckled, "just as patient as you were when we were little girls, because it's those qualities that led us to be here today. It's those qualities that allowed love to grow –in its own way and time –" a glance at Echo, who was blinking hard, "between two people who deserve nothing but the best, and nothing but happiness. I know that I speak for all of us when I say that I'm so glad that you found it in each other, and in this family. This 'Ohana." 

Echo had lost the fight to keep back her tears, and Lexa felt her own eyes spill over. "We've come a long way," she said, her voice by some miracle remaining steady. "All of us. There have been dark, dark days, but this... this is the beginning of your happily ever after. Not every day will be perfect, but every day will be good, because you will have each other. So thank you, both of you, for letting us share in this day, and in the days to come. I cannot wait to see what joy the future holds. _Herzliche Glückwünsche._ We love you."

* * *

**Ontari**

When Lexa sat down, Ontari stood up. She had been dreading this part of the reception, not because she was afraid of public speaking – she had had to do enough of it in college that it didn't really faze her anymore – but because she was afraid she would start crying, and that was the last thing that she wanted. _Don't ever let them see you weak,_ Nia had taught her, and some lessons were very hard to unlearn.

"As Emori so eloquently put it earlier: _Finally_!" That got a laugh, and Ontari smiled. "I personally would have included an expletive before that, but there are children in the audience, so I'll restrain myself." Another laugh. "What most of us know, but some of you may not, is that everyone knew that Echo and Luna were in love with each other _years_ ago. Everyone, that is, except Echo and Luna. We all watched as they went from friendship into something more, and then stuffed those feelings down and tried to pretend that no, really, we're just friends, we swear! We placed _bets_ on when they would finally figure it out. Murphy won, for the record. But as much as we joke about it now, at the time, it was excruciating. At the time, we – or at least I – wondered if they would ever get there at all, and if they didn't..." 

Ontari swallowed, frowning. She'd meant to keep things light, and funny, and short. She should have prepared better. She should have written it all down. Now she was flailing, drowning in memory. "When I was nine years old, Echo saved me. With two words, she changed the course of my life, and I don't even know if she remembers it. The day she came to live with me, she asked me what a person did for fun around here. I told her that I'd been working on doing a flip on the trampoline, but I hadn't gotten it yet. And she looked at me and smiled and said, 'You will.'

"Two words: You will. That was all it took. She became the center of my world, and I don't know how many more times she saved me over the years. Then, when she needed me most, I wasn't there. I was part of the problem, not part of the solution, and..." She fought down the lump in her throat. "I wasn't there, but Luna was. Luna saved her, literally and figuratively, and from that very first night..." She shook her head. "Thank you, Luna. Thank you for saving my sister, for loving her as much as she deserves to be loved, for waiting for her to love you back as much as _you_ deserve to be loved, which in both cases is infinitely, and without reservation. And Echo... my sister who believed in me even before you really knew me, who loved me even when I gave you no reason to... 'Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and loved more than you know.' Cheers."

Echo's arms closed around her before she could even set down her glass, and Ontari buried her face in Echo's neck, clinging. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "That was—I—"

"It was fine," Echo said. "It was perfect." Her hands were warm on Ontari's back. "And I hope that someday you will forgive yourself, because I forgave you a long time ago... if there was ever even anything to forgive." 

Ontari's breath caught. "Don't," she groaned. "Don't be nice to me. I don't want to cry."

Echo laughed. "I'm not sure I know how to be mean to you," she said. "So suck it up, buttercup."

Ontari lifted her head to make a face at Echo, but at least she wasn't on the edge of tears anymore. "I really am happy for you," she said. 

"I know," Echo told her. "Will you save a dance for me?"

Ontari grinned, remembering the impromptu dance parties, complete with routines, that they'd sometimes had, before Ontari got too old – she thought – to think they were cool, and before Echo was too busy with the things Nia demanded of her to have much time for goofing around. "I'll consider it," she said, "if you think you can keep up."

"You're on," Echo said. 

"Actually," Ontari said, "I'm pretty sure you are." 

Because the DJ was announcing that it was time for Echo and Luna to share their first dance together as a married couple. Echo pulled her into a last quick hug before heading to the dance floor. She held out her hand to Luna, who joined her, and Ontari was a little surprised when what started to play wasn't some overdone schmoopy ballad where the first dance was just swaying rhythmically as they gazed adoringly into each other's eyes. 

_Let the bough break, let it come down crashing_  
_Let the sun fade out to a dark sky_  
_I can't say I'd even notice it was absent_  
_'Cause I could live by the light in your eyes_  
_I'll unfold before you_  
_Would have strung together_  
_The very first words of a lifelong love letter_  
_Tell the world that we finally got it all right_  
_I choose you_

Ontari blinked hard, resisting the urge to rub her eyes and possibly smear her makeup, because she wasn't sure if she had _ever_ seen this much joy in Echo's eyes as she had now, dancing with her bride, sometimes in time to the beat of the song, and sometimes falling back into just holding each other and swaying, but who could blame them? 

_We are not perfect, we'll learn from our mistakes_  
_And as long as it takes I will prove my love to you_  
_I am not scared of the elements, I am under-prepared,_  
_But I am willing_  
_And even better_  
_I get to be the other half of you_  
_Tell the world that we finally got it all right_  
_I choose you_  
_I choose_  
_You._

* * *

**Luna**

By the time the cake was served, Luna was exhausted. Once they'd made their rounds to talk to all of the guests and thank them for coming, they'd barely left the dance floor, although there had been frequent changes of partners – she'd danced with Lexa and her father and Adria, and Echo had danced with Ontari and Emori and Veelu, and of course there were group dances which were more fun and funny than they probably had any reason to be as they discovered which of their friends didn't know their left from their right.

Bouquets were tossed and caught, and if the old wives' tale was true, there would be two Blake weddings in the future, but considering how long both couples had already waited, Luna had her doubts. 

She was grateful for the opportunity to sit down and take a break, Echo at her side and surrounded by their friends, Lexa and Anya among them. Her gaze kept drifting to where Adria and Madi were poring over the photo album that her mother had brought for her as a gift, filled with pictures of her as a child, including plenty that included Lexa, and those were the pages that the girls were focused on. 

"They remind me so much of the two of you," Luna's mother said in German, sitting down in an empty seat. "You were inseparable almost from the moment you met. It was like she was the sun, and your world revolved around her."

"The earth," Luna said. "The moon revolves around the earth."

"So it does," her mother said. 

"That's... actually really fitting," Anya said. 

Luna smiled. It was, in a way. She was the dreamer, and Lexa was more grounded, but they fit together in a way that she'd rarely found with anyone else. 

"You know it's not fair when you talk in a language other people don't understand," Madi said, coming over and leaning against Lexa until she gave in and pulled her into her lap. She was getting too big for it, but she didn't think that either Madi or Lexa was ready to admit that. 

" _Willst du Deutsch lernen?_ " Lexa asked her. 

Madi frowned. "Will I learn...?"

"German," Lexa said. "Deutsch is German _auf Deutsch_." She grinned. "And ' _willst du_ ' is actually do you want to, not will you, which I _still_ get confused with sometimes, so that was a very good guess!"

"I don't know," Madi said. "Do they teach it at my school?"

"I'm not sure," Lexa said. "We would have to look." 

" _Ja, aber wenn sie deutsch lernen, werden sie verstehen, wenn wir über sie reden,_ " Anya pointed out with a grin. 

Madi scowled at her, then looked at Lexa. "What did she say?"

"What do you think she said?" Lexa asked. 

"I don't know," Madi said, "but I'm pretty sure it was about me!"

That got a laugh from all of them, or at least the ones who spoke German, because yes, it was. "She said, _wenn sie deutsch lernen, werden sie verstehen, wenn wir über sie reden._ "

"Um... when she German... when she learns German?" 

"Close," Lexa said. " _Wenn_ is if, and in this case _sie_ was 'they' not 'she', but it's _also_ she; you have to pay attention to the verb endings, but essentially yes. She said, 'If they learn German, they will understand if we talk about them.'" 

"I knew it!" Madi said, sticking her tongue out at Anya. "Rude!" She leaned back against Lexa. "Also confusing."

"A little bit," Lexa said, "but I think you could learn. I'm sure Luna would be happy to teach you, and I would, too."

"And there's an app for that," Echo told her. "I actually have two. Do you want to see?"

"Yeah!" Madi said, sliding off of Lexa's lap and going over to Echo so that she was flanked on either side by one of the girls, and Veelu, not being one to be left out of anything, but especially not anything involving Echo, scrambled into her lap to see what they were all looking at. 

Something must have changed in her expression because she felt Lexa's hand cover her own. "We won't let history repeat itself," she said softly in German. "We won't."

"We may not get a choice," Luna whispered back. 

"There is always a choice," Lexa said. "We're the adults now. We call the shots."

"Her mother—"

"I've talked to some of my professors," Lexa said. "If it comes to a fight..." She raised an eyebrow. 

"I don't want to play tug-of-war with my daughter," Luna said. 

Lexa smiled, but it was a soft, sad expression. "You also don't want to lose her. Because she _is_ your daughter. So if it comes to it—"

"Let's hope it doesn't," Luna said. Because as much as she loved Adria, and even though Adria said she loved her too, if it came down to the little girl being forced to make a choice, she didn't know which way she would choose.

* * *

**Echo**

As the sun sank behind the horizon, the guests slowly made their way back to their cars, and their homes. A few friends lingered a little longer to help with any cleanup that wouldn't be done tomorrow by the place where they'd rented the chairs and pavilions from, but finally it was time for them to leave, too.

Echo returned the hair comb that Lexa had lent to her, the one that had been her mother's and that Lexa had worn in her own wedding. "Thank you," she said, hugging her tight. 

"Any time," Lexa said. "Nobody gets left behind or forgotten, right?"

"Right." Echo smiled at her, then gave a quick hug to Clarke and a very worn-out Madi (she, Adria, and Veelu had spent a good portion of the afternoon chasing Kodi around the vast stretches of grass surrounding the area they'd set up the wedding). "Thank you all for coming."

"It was the best wedding I've ever been to," Madi declared, mustering enthusiasm in her voice even as she clung to Clarke's hand and leaned heavily into her side. 

"Is it the _only_ wedding you've ever been to?" Echo asked. 

"Umm..." Madi bit her lip. 

Echo laughed. "That's okay," she said. "I'm still happy to hear you had a good time. And I can't wait until you and your moms move into your new house." 

Madi perked up a bit, her face splitting in a grin. "Me either," she said, looking over at the smaller of the two houses on the property. "It's going to be the _best_." 

"Yes it will," Echo said. She watched as Lexa crouched down, letting Madi jump onto her back so she could carry her out to their car without risking a twisted ankle or something if the clumsiness that plagued Madi when she was tired or excited got the better of her. 

Next was Emori, with John at her side, and she hugged them both a little longer than she might have otherwise. "Thank you for the food," she told John. "I knew it would be amazing, but it was better even than I thought it would be." 

"Of course," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "It's what I do. Although I think Veelu might have been a little disappointed that there was no chocolate she needed to protect you from."

Echo laughed. "I think she'll get over it." She hugged Emori again. "Thank you for actually, y'know, running this thing," she said. "I can't imagine anyone who could have done it better."

"You might have, if John hadn't pointed out to me that I probably couldn't actually say that your story proved that not everything in the Bible is bullshit." She grinned. 

"Wait, _what?_?" Echo asked.

"The whole, 'Love is patient, love is kind,' thing is from the Bible, and I almost didn't use it because of that, but it worked so well... so I just had to divorce it from its source material. Without swearing." 

Echo shook her head. "Thank you for not swearing during the ceremony," she said. "Someone probably would have been offended. I'm not sure _who_ , but someone." 

"You're welcome." One last hug, and they were off to collapse at home. 

Last, but of course not least, was Veelu, who Echo scooped up and held tight. She wasn't wearing her wings anymore, which made hugging her much easier. "Thank you for being the perfect flower girl," Echo told her. "And thank you for making sure I didn't make any mistakes in my vows." 

"You're welcome," Veelu said. "And you are still the most beautifulest bride ever, and I love you with my whole entire heart and I am very very glad that finally your ring is on the right finger and now you can live happily ever after." 

"I love you too with my whole entire heart," Echo said, squeezing her eyes shut until the tears that threatened to spill dried again. She looked at Abby and Marcus. "Actually... do you mind staying just a little bit longer? There's something that I want to show her. Inside the house."

"Of course," Abby said. "Take your time." 

"Are you ready for this?" she asked Luna, then looked at Ontari and Adria. She was the only one who had been in the house since the work was completed; the last time Luna was here things were still very much a work in progress, and Ontari and Adria hadn't been inside at all. 

"More than ready," Luna said, taking Adria's hand. "Bring us home."

Echo led them up the front steps to the wide porch, and unlocked the front door, letting them all inside. She showed them the kitchen, which was one of her favorite rooms in the house, with its black and white checkered floor and '57 Chevy-inspired retro appliances. It had the feel of a diner or an ice cream shop mixed with a farmhouse kitchen, and although it was almost nothing like the kitchen she'd grown up with, it felt like _home_.

Then there was the dining room, big enough (she hoped) to accommodate the entire 'Ohana, and a mud room and laundry room, and the big living room with the giant comfy couches and the fireplace for cool nights, and an extra room that she hadn't quite figured out what they would use it for. Maybe an office. 

Upstairs, she went straight for one of the doors, where a little sign hung. "What does it say?" she asked Veelu. 

Veelu leaned forward to look at it. "It says me!" she said. "It says Veelu!"

"Why do think it says that?" Echo asked. 

"I don't know," Veelu said. "Why?"

"Because it's _your_ room," Echo said. 

Veelu stared at her. "I have my _own_ room?" she asked. "In _your_ house?"

"Yes, you do," Echo said. "You're my best smol friend. You need a place to stay when you're here. Do you want to see it?" 

"Yes!" Veelu said, nearly choking Echo in her excitement. Echo pushed open the door and stepped inside. She tried to set Veelu down, but she wasn't letting go, so she just hefted her back up on her hip and watched her face as she took in the bunk bed, which had stairs up to the top bunk, and a bigger bed underneath, which was covered in a multicolored quilt in a pattern that Echo was pretty sure was called Wonky Stars. One wall was painted in chalkboard paint, so that Veelu could draw and write all over it if she wanted to, and there was a small desk and a toy chest that doubled as a bench under the window. 

Veelu looked, and looked, and then burst into tears. "I love it Too Much!" she wailed. "I want it to be my room forever and ever!"

"It _is_ your room forever and ever," Echo assured her. "Because we made a vow, right? You will always be my best smol friend, and I will always be your best tol friend, and that means that you will always have a place in my house, just like you have a place in my heart. Right?"

Veelu sniffled and nodded, her face buried in Echo's neck. Echo just held her, rubbing her back and rocking her, until she calmed down. "Ready to go home with Mommy and Daddy?" she asked. 

"Yes," Veelu said. It was obvious the excitement of the day had finally caught up to her, and once the tears subsided, she was completely drained. By the time Echo got her downstairs, she was already half asleep. She kissed her cheek. "Sleep tight, Li'l Monster," she told her. "I'll see you soon." 

"Mmmhmmm," Veelu mumbled, and was out, not even waking as Echo transferred her to Marcus' arms and wished them a good night. 

Back inside, her family was still waiting for her to finish the tour. "Why did she cry?" Adria asked her. 

"Her heart got too full and it leaked out her eyes," Echo told her. "It happens sometimes. "Do you want to see your room next?"

"Yes please," Adria said softly. She was still holding Luna's hand as she tucked her other one into Echo's. Echo opened the door to let her inside. Adria looked around, craning her head in all directions to take in her bed, full size instead of the just-barely-twin daybed she was used to, and the sea-themed quilt that covered it. On the wall across from the bed was a mural that Clarke and Tris had worked on together, different shades of Adria's favorite turquoise-y blue, the silhouette of a mermaid and a ship in the distance, and along the ceiling line the words, 'I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue...'

"Oh," Adria said, her eyes wide as saucers. "This is really mine?" she asked. "Just mine?"

"Just yours," Luna told her. 

"Until Mommy comes..." she said, very voice aching with despair, and then crashed into Luna as her eyes overflowed and she started to sob. 

"Shhh," Luna said, lifting her and sitting on the edge of the bed. "Shh, _Liebchen_ , it's all right." She looked at Echo and smiled sadly. "Why don't you show Ontari her room?" she suggested. 

Echo nodded and motioned for Ontari to follow her up another flight of stairs to the space that used to be the attic. "I didn't think you needed your name on your door," she said, "but if you want it..." 

Ontari laughed. "I'm good," she said. She stepped past Echo when she opened the door, flipping on the light and looking around. The space was huge, the full footprint of the house, but losing some square footage because of the slope of the ceiling. Echo had had them add dormer windows to help counteract that, with window seats in both of them that doubled as storage. Ontari had her own bathroom and even a small sitting area with her own TV, so it was basically an entire apartment, lacking only a kitchen. Her bed was draped in a quilt patterned in black, purple, blue, and green, trying to mimic the colors of the aurora borealis, which Ontari had been obsessed with for as long as Echo had known her. 

"What's...?" Ontari looked over at a little nook next to the bathroom, where there was a litter box tucked away, and then back at Echo, her head cocked. 

"You said you wanted a cat," Echo said. "So I made sure your room was ready for it." Ontari just nodded, apparently speechless. "There's one more thing. I promise that one day we'll see the real thing, but..." She flipped off the regular room lights and touched another switch, and the ceiling lit up with the projection of a shifting pattern of colors. "Raven," she explained as Ontari's eyes glowed with the reflection of her own personal northern lights. 

Ontari looked at her, shaking her head. "You didn't have to do all this," she said. "You didn't—"

"You're my sister, and this is your home," Echo told her. "So yes, I did." She hugged Ontari and they watched the flickering display for a few minutes longer. "I'm going to go check on Luna and Adria," she said. "I'll let you get settled in."

"I hope she's all right," Ontari said. "Her mother—she won't really try to take her away, will she? Not from this."

"I don't know," Echo said. "I hope not."

"We won't let her."

"I'm trying not to think about it," Echo said. "Not today."

Ontari nodded, and Echo left her to finish exploring her new space. She went downstairs and found that Luna was helping Adria out of her dress and into pajamas. "She likes the bathroom," she said. "All the mermaid and ocean details." 

"I'm glad," Echo said. She'd kept the base of the bathroom fairly classic but found towels and soap dishes and things that fit with Adria's love of mermaids and all things oceanic, figuring that if she ever found something she liked more, it would be easy enough to switch those things out without having to actually make changes to the bathroom itself, except maybe a fresh coat of paint. 

Once Adria was tucked in and hugged and kissed until she was smiling at least a little bit, Echo took Luna down the hall to show her first the guest room, and then their room. Their bed was covered in the quilt that Ontari had given Echo for her birthday, the pattern compasses so she could always find her way home. The rest of the décor was simple, clean lines with hints of the rustic, warm and bright and cozy. 

"It's perfect," Luna said. "All of it. Thank you. I know that doing all of this, planning all of this, wasn't easy, but you did it, and it's perfect."

"So was the wedding," Echo said, "and that was all you, so thank you for that." She slid her arms around Luna and kissed her, and kissed her, and although she was exhausted from lack of sleep the night before, and the drain of the emotional wringer she'd been through over the course of the day, and all of the dancing, she found that she still had enough energy to undress her wife and show her, on no uncertain terms, just how much she loved her. 

Curled together under their quilt, soft and sated, limbs heavy with incipient sleep, Echo kissed her one more time, and whispered, "Welcome home."

**Author's Note:**

>  _Willst du die Frau dieser Bäuerin sein?_ = Will you be this farmer's wife? 
> 
> _Vielen, vielen Dank_ to Susan, for all of her help with my questions about German wedding customs, such as _Polterabend_ and the sawing of a log, and for letting me know that Germans wear their wedding rings on their right hand. Thank you also for not laughing at my disastrous attempts at complex sentences and for confirming that Google Translate actually got someting right for once!
> 
> Also, their wedding song is I Choose You, by Sara Bareilles - you can listen to the whole thing [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooiLP_zqnFs).
> 
> And "Love is patient, love is kind" is 1 Corinthians 13. The full thing is verses 4-8, but I only used part of verse 4 and then verse 7. And the "Always remember that you are stronger than you seem..." is from not, in fact. A.A. Milne; it was from some Winnie-the-Pooh movie or another. Disappointing, I know.


End file.
